My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

To Sling or To Double-Stroller?

| 18 Comments

I think I am a stroller mom.

My Mommyology Sling

I could never get the instructions right.

I have never been good with slings (or baby bjorns for that matter).  We received one as a gift when we had Sam, which I used a total of 5 times, including the practice sessions.  It’s a good thing the instructions said to practice on top of the bed too, because the first time I think she slipped right through and onto the bed.  I had a small heart attack.  I would always get back pains and ring pains too from wearing it for 30 minutes  (according to the manual, I was doing it wrong).  So I gave up and just relied on my stroller.

Nevertheless, I would still bring it around, tucked in the stroller basket, beneath the baby bag that contained half the house — just in case!  The stroller had the carseat attached too, since it was easier to lift it with a sleeping Sam, than to pry her out and move her to the stroller while praying desperately that it would not wake her.  In the end, I had more gear than baby.  Sometimes I wonder how I even made it out.

Soon there will be another baby to travel with, and I don’t know if I can handle all that baby gear… and a toddler!  There will have to be some way to contain both girls so I don’t lose either one of them or my sanity.

Option 1: Buckle them both down in a double stroller of sorts.  The thing is, the stroller has to be able to accommodate my carseat, in the event that I have another light sleeper on my hands.  The only one I’ve found online was the Baby Trend Sit N Stand, however the carseat brand we have doesn’t fit that system.  So we may need a new infant carseat (as well as a new stroller?  I wonder what Dad will say…).  The upside is, anything is sellable on craigslist right?

Option 2: The infant is stuck to me with a sling, and the toddler sits in her current travel stroller which is easy to bring about.  The thing is, if I need to run after Sam, then won’t I jiggle the baby silly?  That or we both overheat.  I will need to find a sling as well that I can live with as a semi-permanent appendage.  Some of my friends have told me about good slings they’ve used, like the Baby K’tan, so I guess it’s a matter of picking one and choosing to invest in it.

My Mommyology Toddler on a Leash

Stay Dog, I mean... Child.

Option 3: Put Sam on a leash and give Jamie the flexibility to be in a sling or a stroller.  We do own a toddler leash, and have used it on occasion, but it isn’t going to stop fingers or toes from getting stuck in the escalator.  That worries me.  Also,  my husband thinks it’s well — inappropriate (and unsafe of course).  I’m sure you understand why.

There is an Option 4: Stay home and infect everyone with cabin fever.

I realized that in Manila the equivalent of all this baby gear is a yaya (stay-in nanny) for each child.  Rarely will you catch someone with a double-stroller in Manila (unless they have twins).  But even then, the yaya is still pushing the gear around.  Yayas are your human leashes with long ropes too.  Sometimes they act as carseats as well! They are technically a 3-in-1 kind of baby gear at an affordable monthly rate.

But there are no yayas here (for better or for worse), and so a sling might actually be the more affordable investment (not to mention the supposed emotional benefits it brings the mother and child).  The Baby K’tan is rated as Babble.com’s best for newborns too, which is when I feel I’ll need it the most.  Who knows, if I practice well enough, I just might get the hang of it.  The other consolation is, if I develop a back ache, at least my chiropractor is cute.

Author: mymommyology

I am the mom that I am because of my two wonderful little girls. They teach me everyday.

18 Comments

  1. Option 5: Come back to Manila. 🙂

  2. patrick was never a stroller baby so a sling for the new angel is one of my wish list! haayy… 🙂

  3. I could never figure out my sling either!! But I liked the Baby Bjorn. Mika did too. My mind is going crazy thinking of all those gadgets you have to handle with 1 infant and 1 strong-willed toddler.

    • You know we have a Baby Bjorn but when I wore it with Sam at 6 months parang it just hurt my shoulders and my back. But this Baby K’Tan, I fit it last Sunday, parang, ang dali niya. And the tela is soft too. Parang I want one, haha. It’s $55 though.

      Next week naman we’ll look at the double-strollers. Bulky nga lang, and I think the nice one (Jogger City Select) is quite expensive. In any case, if we don’t use it, sell it on craigslist! Haha.

  4. What did your chiro say about the sling? You know I’m a personal fan of the sling. I lugged Kai around with me practically everywhere for the first year in a sling. Ate, read, slept, and even sat on the toilet with her in the sling. It was the only thing that seemed to best pacify her when she was throwing fits and it really kept her quiet for long periods while allowing me to do a lot of stuff done while keeping her with me. BUT! I don’t have scolio like you do.. and a friend of mine who used the sling for awhile too developed severe back pains that wouldn’t go away for very long periods of time. And she had a yaya so that helped. And chiro here isn’t as expensive as there… so, best check with your cute doctor before thinking of using the sling for jamie 🙂

  5. I did ask them! Thanks for the concern — I remembered it during my last visit. They said my scolio wont get worse with a sling, but it will just depend on my comfort / discomfort.
    And another friend of mine told me they were recalling slings because so many babies have suffocated in them. So I think I’ll wait out the sling first. As for the stroller — we’re still canvassing!

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  12. I use the Ergobaby sling and I love it! My daughter does too. 🙂

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